The 'world's richest footballer' certainly isn't strapped for cash despite being released
Chelsea's Faiq Bolkiah during a friendly match between Chelsea Under 18 and Watford Under 18
Faiq Bolkiah has had a unique footballing journey(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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Brunei international Faiq Bolkiah is a free agent after being released by his latest club. However, the crossroads in the 28-year-old's career certainly won't have an impact on his staggering personal wealth.
Considered the 'world's richest footballer', the winger hails from royalty as he is the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. The monarch has served in the position since 1984 and is thought to have a personal fortune of around £22billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Despite the financial power of his family, Bolkiah has attempted to pave his own path in life through football. Born in Los Angeles, the athlete has had a nomadic footballing journey that began with Berkshire-based club AFC Newbury.
He then moved on to Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester City across 11 years in the youth setup. In his early teenage years, he enjoyed trials at Arsenal and Stoke City, while attending Bradford College, which costs an eye-watering £58,000 a year.
Bolkiah left England in 2020 after failing to make the professional grade and moved to Portugal, where he signed with Maritimo. He featured only for the club's youth teams for a year before leaving for Thailand to join Chonburi FC.
He made 32 appearances for the club, scoring twice, and left after two years to sign for Ratchaburi. Bolkiah had a three-year tenure for the side, but scored just two goals in 23 times before his time with the Thai club came to an end this year.
His journey in football has routinely been highlighted, given the powerful wealth his family has long possessed. Among the most luxurious of their assets is their car collection, which is believed to be valued at an estimated £5bn.
Chelsea's U21 Faiq Bolkiah during a friendly match Under 21 match between Chelsea and Burnley at the Cobham Training Ground
The 28-year-old spent two years in Chelsea's academy (Image: Getty)
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A remarkable 7,000 vehicles are said to be housed within their garage, while a £460million gold-plated Boeing 747 stands tall as the crown jewel of their aviation fleet. The multi-billion-pound fortune of the Bolkiah family stems mainly from Brunei's oil reserves. The Asian nation has ranked as one of the world's leading suppliers of crude oil and natural gas since 1929.
A significant aspect of the family's riches has been invested into an investment portfolio, with hotels and various estates in London, Paris and New York forming their property empire.
Faiq Bolkiah
Bolkiah's three-year stint Ratchaburi FC has ended (Image: Pakawich Damrongkiattisak/Getty Images)
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The prosperity that Bolkiah has enjoyed throughout his life hasn't stopped him from dedicating his life to making it in football, according to a former team-mate of his. Ruben Sammut - ex-Chelsea academy graduate and current scout for the Blues - came up through the ranks with the Brunei star and opened up about his character.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: "You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne. You would not have thought of him as royalty. He was a humble guy, trying every day like every academy player. We used to joke he didn't need to play football but he wanted to play because he loved football.
"It wasn't a regular thing we mentioned. It was that typical banter, saying he is royalty, saying, 'What's he doing playing with us?' But we all knew deep down how much he wanted to play, so it was more good-willed passing comments."
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